Recognition of merit for the results obtained in badminton and a scholarship for the twenty-three-year-old Giovanni Toti from Clare who participated in the 2024 Paris Olympics in badminton.
The Municipality rewards the Olympic athlete Giovanni Toti
He arrived in the Municipality with the simplicity that has always distinguished him, together with his first fans, his mother and two grandmothers. Gio, once again, has demonstrated what he is made of, his goodness and availability towards a city that is so proud of him, that he has not gone to his head, on the contrary, he took the opportunity to reiterate that his thoughts are already in the future, in Los Angeles 2028.
Giovanni Totion Wednesday afternoon, was welcomed with open arms in the Town Hall where the mayor was waiting for him Gabriele Zottithe Sports Councilor, who has always been very close to him, Roberto Goffibut also the president of Gsa badminton, in which he grew up, Massimo Merigoe Alessandro Cugini of the mayor’s staff.
The Administration, in the Repossi Hall, the one with the fresco of “Clarity”, which represents the whole city, presented him with the plaque of merit (which he had not been able to collect on the occasion of the inaugural ceremony of the sporting year and the Palio of Teams), but also the first scholarship just announced by the Council to reward and incentivize those who achieve important results in the sporting field.
The emotions felt
Mayor Zotti asked the 23-year-old, “ambassador of the Clarensità and a great example for all the other kids” to tell the emotion he felt in Paris and the young man said he realized everything when he found himself walking on the same ground as great sportsmen (citing Nada and many others).
«I was very excited, that moment came after four intense, tough years. I couldn’t describe in words what I experienced. Now my head is projected towards the future. I would like to go and play in Asia to return to the field even better prepared. I felt a lot of affection, the support of my city, the GSA and many friends who made everything seem more real. Who knows if a medal might actually arrive. I want to thank everyone and also the Administration for what they are doing for sport and the city.”
The dream, ironic but shared, is that Chiari can also surpass the podiums in Roncadelle.
The future and the “weight” of having written history
Then, he was asked if he feels the “burden” of being a badminton star:
“It is a pride to have represented Italy in this sport – he concluded – I have the opportunity to help the badminton movement and the kids who play on a growth path and I will do it without holding back. My mind, however, already remains screened in Los Angeles. I’ll give it my all.”
However, there is and has never been a lack of attention to training: the 23-year-old also confirmed that he will continue his studies at the Faculty of Motor Sciences. There are many “spoilers”: Gio will play with the Chiari shirt at the Championships (together with Enrico Baroni) and will be a guest at the Micropublishing Review on Sunday 10 November.
He won prizes
Absolute protagonist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Giovanni Toti wrote badminton history by winning his first match and being eliminated only by the best in the world.
As already mentioned several times, for the twenty-three-year-old professional badminton player, however, it was a great return to Olympic soil. Raised in the Gsa Badminton Chiari (chaired by Massimo Merigo), he approached the discipline when he was in middle school. In 2013, at his first Italian Championships, he placed ninth.
Only one year later, with determination and will, thanks also to the help and support of coach Fabio Tomasello, he climbed to the top step of the podium and brought home the first Italian title in the under 15 men’s singles. at 14, he went to live in Milan and trained at the Federal Technical Center, but without ever sinning in school. His palmarès is full of awards and medals, at home and abroad.
The Olympic bracket
Champion in fairplay, in Paris, Gio won the first round match by eliminating the Surinamese Soren Opti with a score of 21-8 and 4-1, with his opponent forced to withdraw due to injury during the second set. Never in the past had any Italian player managed to win a badminton match at the Olympics. Already a dream come true, an honor, something that will remain indelibly written in history. In the second round, however, he was not lucky when he found the Chinese world number 1 Shi Yu Qi on the other side of the net. The blue fought and emerged with his head held high from the challenge won by the Chinese.
The awards
His skill was immediately recognised: a few years ago, during the inaugural ceremony of the sports year and of the Teams, he collected his first recognition for sporting merit conferred by the Vizzardi Administration, but his name is now doubly intertwined thread with that of the city that supports him with so much pride. Thus, even during this edition of the Palio, a prize did not take long to arrive which, given Gio’s commitments, was not awarded before.
Before his departure for Paris, however, there had been a big party in the square organized by the Municipality, and in particular by the Sports Councilor Roberto Goffi and the Mayor Gabriele Zotti, and by the GSA (as well as a further meeting of «in good luck” just a few hours before departure).
Photo 1 in 4
Photo 2 in 4
Photo 3 in 4
Photo 4 in 4
